Gallbladder Removal: Your Complete Guide to an Optimal Recovery

The gallbladder is a sac found just under the liver. It stores and concentrates bile, a substance produced in the liver to aid fat digestion. Bile is released from the gallbladder into the upper small intestine in response to fatty foods that you eat.

The gallbladder sometimes endures problems, such as gallstones blocking the bile ducts or tissue inflammation. In such cases, the best treatment may be surgery.

At Advanced Surgical Associates of Northern Minnesota, board-certified general surgeon Dr. John Bollins and our team treat gallbladder disease in our three Minnesota offices. Since you don't need a gallbladder to survive, oftentimes, removing the organ to resolve the underlying problem is necessary.

If you need gallbladder surgery, here's what you need to know about your condition, the procedure, and recovery.

What are gallstones?

Gallstones form when stored bile hardens into a stone-like material. They may be caused by too much cholesterol, bile salts, or bilirubin (bile pigment).

Gallstones that reside in the gallbladder itself are called cholelithiasis, and those that are present in the bile ducts are called choledocholithiasis. Obstructing the bile ducts can cause a severe or life-threatening infection of the ducts, pancreas, or liver.

Most gallstones don't cause symptoms at first when they're small. When they grow larger or obstruct the bile ducts, you develop symptoms or "attacks." These attacks usually occur after a fatty meal and at night.

The following are the most common gallstone symptoms, but each individual may have a unique combination:

Steady, severe pain in the upper abdomen
Pain increases rapidly and lasts from 30 minutes to several hours
Pain in the back between the shoulder blades
Pain in the right shoulder
Nausea
Vomiting
Fever
Chills
Jaundice: yellowing of the skin or eyes
Abdominal bloating
Intolerance of fatty foods
Burping or gas
Indigestion

Since gallstone symptoms resemble other conditions, such as heart attack, appendicitis, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, hiatal hernia, pancreatitis, or hepatitis, you need to make an appointment with Dr. Bollins for an accurate diagnosis.

What is cholecystitis?

Cholecystitis is an inflammation, and possible infection, of the gallbladder that occurs when bile gets trapped. In most cases, it’s due to gallstones blocking the ducts that drain bile from the gallbladder.

Cholecystitis can happen suddenly (acute), or it can be long-term (chronic).

A cholecystitis attack lasts 2-3 days and may cause some combination of the following symptoms:

Intense, sudden pain in the upper right quadrant of your belly
Pain (often worse with deep breathing) that spreads to your back or below the right shoulder blade
Nausea
Vomiting
Fever
Jaundice
Loose, light-colored bowel movements
Belly bloating

Once again, since the symptoms of cholecystitis may look like other health problems, you need to get an accurate diagnosis from the doctor.

Gallbladder removal: procedure and recovery

If Dr. Bollins has to remove your gallbladder, he uses either a minimally invasive technique or a robot-assisted one. This helps reduce the risk of complications such as bleeding or infection and shortens your recovery time.

For the procedure, he:

Makes a 2-3 cm incision by your navel and 2-3 one-centimeter incisions on the right side of your abdomen
He inserts a small tube through which he pumps carbon dioxide gas into the area to see all structures clearly
Inserts a laparoscope through the larger incision so he can see the gallbladder clearly on a monitor
Insert small surgical instruments to remove your gallbladder
Releases the gas and closes the incisions with stitches

You can usually go home later the same day. Recovery generally takes about two weeks.

You can live perfectly normally without a gallbladder, so there aren't usually any long-term effects from gallbladder removal surgery.

Temporary side effects can include swollen, bruised, and painful wounds, which should improve within a few days; feeling sick from the anesthetic; pain in your abdomen and shoulders as a result of the gas used to inflate the area; and bloating, flatulence, and diarrhea, which can last up to a few weeks. Eating high-fiber food can help solidify stool.

Generally speaking, after surgery, you can:

Eat a normal diet right away
Do gentle exercises, such as walking
Drive in about a week
Have sex as soon as you feel up to it – but don’t place weight on the wounds until they’ve healed
Return to work after 7-14 days, depending on your job

Returning to these activities after an open (large incision) procedure can take a bit longer. Follow all aftercare instructions Dr. Bollins gives you.

If you have abdominal pain that's localized to the upper right quadrant, you may have a gallbladder problem. Call our office in Hibbing, Duluth, or Ely, Minnesota, or book your appointment online to schedule a consultation.

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